Molding for chair backs or the like



March 30, 1 R, A. CRAMER MOLDING FOR CHAIR BACKS OR THE LIKE Filed April12, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORE 5 I Patented Mar. 30, 1954 MOLDING FOR CHAIR BACKS OR THE LIKERoy A. Cramer, Kansas City, Mo., assignoi' to Cramer Posture Chair 00.,Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application April 12,1951, Serial No. 220,690

This invention relates to a molding or bumper strip and is particularlyadaptable for the back of a chair, automobile seat or other devicesrequiring a covering and molding or trimming at the juncture of twosurface portions.

Heretofore in the construction of an upholstered office chair or thelike, it has been the usual practice to draw the upholstering of theback about a cushion member and then over the edges to the rear side ofa cushion support plate and fastening the same. An outer plate isusually fastened to the back side of the support plate. As the chair orother article is used, the upholstering wears against the supportingplate, due to contact with other oflice fixtures and also to the normalslipping strain when in use, and the back plate with its clamping actiontends to wear the upholstering material.

It is, therefore, the principal objects of the present invention toobviate these undesirable features; to proside a molding and bumper forthe edges of the decks of chairs or the like having a supporting plateand clamping plate with a resilient member for engagement of theupholstering material and a second resilient member for engaging theedges of the clamping plate to engage the upholstering and retain thesame in non-slipping relation to the first resilient member therebyproviding a cushioning effect; to provide a device of this character forpreventing marring of furniture, walls and the like with which a chaircomes in contact and to prevent wear of the edges of the upholstery ofthe chair; to provide a device of this character which will preventchipping or marring of the enamel on the back plate of a chair or thelike; and to provide a device of this character, simple, economical tomanufacture and eflicient in operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafterpointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, thepreferredform of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a part of a chair or thelike having a supporting plate and clamping plate particularlyillustrating my molding structure.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional elevational view through my device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the inner -molding or bumpermember.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the outer molding orbumper member.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-184) While my invention may be adapted to variousarticles of furniture, automobile seats and the like, I will describethe same in relation to a chair back or the like.

I designates the back of a chair having a supporting plate 2 to which isattached a resilient cushion member 3 usually made of sponge or foamrubber or the like. The supporting plate 2 is provided with a pluralityof threaded bore openings 4 adapted to receive the threaded shank 5 ofscrews or the like 6 for retaining a clamping plate.| on the supportingmember. lhe clamping plate is substantially of the same size as thesupporting plate and each is provided with peripheral edges 8 and 9,respectively.

member I3 is provided of substantially triangular shape with the outeror upper portion roundas indicated at I5. One of the angle shaped sidesis provided with a groove or slot I6 adapted to engage the periphery ofthe edge 8 of the clamping plate I as best illustrated in Fig. 2. Thebumper members In and I3 are preferably made of rubber, plastic or otherresilient material.

The cushion member 3 is provided with a covering or upholstery material[1, such as fabric or the like, having its free edges hemmed providing aloop l8, through which a fastening device l9, such as cord, wire or thelike, is drawn for tightening the upholstery as is the usual practice.The upholstering material is drawn over the side of the wounded portionI! of the molding or bumper Ill and lies alongside of the face 20thereof, the loop I8 extending slightly below the lower edge of thebumper. The side face 2| of the bumper l3 engages against the outer edgeof the upholstering material with its point l5 engaging the loop portionso that the upholstery material lies between the two bumper members asbest illustrated in Fig. 2, and thus retain the upholstering materialbetween the bumpers and prevent its slipping or becoming loose. Theclamping plate I is then secured'to the supporting plate by thescrews-6. The pressure of the edge 8 of the plate I on the bumper l3against the bumper l0 prevents the bumper l3 from becoming loose andpulled out until the plate I is released.

The sides of the angle shaped bumper l3 are substantially flat or planeand the slot l6 extends inwardly at substantially a right angle on theouter side as illustrated in Fig. 2, so that the outer edge of theclamping plate presses the opposite side of the bumper against the otherbumper at the upper edge thereof, and thus allows flexing of the innerbumper to prevent wearing of the rubber and material.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improvedbumper or molding for chairs or other articles which will securely holdthe upholstery to the'back of the chair and prevent wearing thereof andwhich will prevent marring of furniture, walls or the like due tocontact of the chair with such objects and also a device which may bereadily assembled and disassembled when necessary to change theupholstering material.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A back structure for a chair or the like comprising, a supporting plateand a clamping plate having peripheral edges, a cushion member on thesupporting plate, a rubber member having a slot for engaging theperipheral edge of the sup-porting plate, the sides of said rubbermember vJeing tapered upwardly and terminating in a rounded upper edgeand the sides having substantially plane surfaces, an upholsteringmateria1 covering the cushion member and extending over the outermostplane surface of said rubber member, means on the edge of theupholstering material for securing same to the supporting plate, asubstantially V-shaped rubber member having two substantially planesurfaces and a rounded upper surface, one of said plane surfaces havinga slot engaging the peripheral edge of the clamping plate and the otherplane surface being substantially coextensive with and engaging theupholstering material extending over the plane surface of the firstrubber member, said last named slot extending inwardly of said planesurface at an angle toward the upper edge of the opposite plane surfaceof said member so that the last named plane surface lies flat againstthe plane surface of the first rubber member, the point of the V- shapedrubber member engaging the upholstering securing means to prevent thematerial from being withdrawn from between the two rubber members, andmeans securing the clamping plate to the supporting plate, said clampingplate being of substantially the same size as the supporting plate andhaving its center portion spaced therefrom and its outer portion turnedinwardly at an angle to exert pressure of the V-shaped rubber memberagainst the rubber member on the supporting plate.

ROY A. CRAMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 178,613 Elbert June 13, 1876 1,497,247 Scrutton June 10, 19241,681,942 Ledwinka Aug. 28, 1928 2,046,649 Nordmark July 7, 19362,047,747 Schemmel July 14, 1936 2,184,572 Wainess Dec. 26, 19392,205,465 Campbell June 25, 1940

